


A Day in the Life of the ARC

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Primeval
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dinosaurs, Drama, Gen, Gen Work, Humor, Trapped in the Past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 13:22:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9493349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: The team end up spending the night in the Cretaceous.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eriah211](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eriah211/gifts).



> Written for eriah211's 2016 fandom stocking.

The dinosaur continued slashing at the undergrowth with its scythe like claws, ignoring the two humans who had fallen out of an anomaly right next to it. Connor looked like he was paralysed with excitement while Stephen was less enthusiastically scouting the area for carnivores.

“We need to get back to the...” Stephen started to say, only for the anomaly behind them to wink closed. “Brilliant.”

“Can you see that?” Connor asked.

“Little hard to miss, Conn.”

“Therizonosaurus cheloniformis,” Connor whispered. “It's claws were discovered in 1948 but it wasn't until the '80s that they really started to understand what it looked like. And look at it.”

Stephen had to admire Connor's unwavering excitement at seeing a dinosaur in the flesh, even if his self-preservation was a bit on the lacking side.

“Yes, I see it Connor. Where are we?”

“Mongolia. Late-Cretaceous.”

“AKA plenty of things about that want to eat us,” Stephen said.

“Um, yeah?” Connor said.

“Then we need to save the sightseeing for later. Let's...”

Stephen was interrupted by the handheld anomaly detector in Connor's bag beeping into life. They both turned to look at the T.cheloniformis but since it continued to ignore them they didn't move away and risk making it interested. Instead they quickly pulled out the detector.

“Um, this is weird,” Connor said.

“Another anomaly?” Stephen asked.

Connor nodded. “Yeah. Think our one moved?”

“I suppose there's only one way to find out. How far away?”

“Just past those hills I reckon.”

“Right. I'll go first,” Stephen said, checking his gun, “you stay close. We move slow and steady, got it?”

Connor nodded, then took a quick picture of their neighbouring dinosaur before Stephen had chance to object. He shrugged sheepishly as Stephen glared at him.

Before they could move off though the anomaly detector pinged again.

“Another one?” Stephen asked.

“Um, yeah, over to the right.”

Confused Stephen pulled out the binoculars he now always carried with him. He could see figures in the distance and...yes, he recognised them.

“That's Captain Ryan and Lester.”

“Lester? Why's he come after us?”

“Something tells me it wasn't voluntary. Come on.”

They hurried across to where Ryan was ignoring an irate Lester.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Stephen said.

Ryan snorted. “Spaghetti junction opened in the ARC. Have you seen Cutter and Abby yet?”

“They must have come through the anomaly over there,” Connor said. He pointed just as a couple of shadowy figures crested over the ridge.

“They're running,” Lester remarked.

Whatever else he might have been about to say was drowned out by a loud roar that made them all freeze. The T.cheloniformis ran straight past them and Ryan pushed Connor back out of the way.

“We need to get to shelter,” Ryan said.

“Caves, that way,” Stephen said, helping Connor to his feet.

A breathless Abby and Cutter joined them, and Ryan told Stephen to lead them away while he took up the rear. Everywhere around them animals were crying out and squawking in fear, the sounds setting the already anxious team on edge.

They didn't dare turn around, joining the mass exodus of animals fleeing for their lives. Stephen lead them to the nearest cave and they hunkered down inside while Ryan remained at the entrance, scanning the area.

“Cretac- cretac -” Cutter tried to say leaning forward with his hands on his knees.

“We know,” Stephen said. “When was the last time you used the gym?”

Cutter made an obscene gesture between breaths.

“Well, Captain?” Lester asked, looking remarkably put together for a man who'd just had to run for his life.

“I think we're going to need to wait this out, sir. Professor?”

Cutter nodded and gave a thumbs up, still panting heavily.

“There's water in my backpack,” Ryan told Stephen, who then proceeded to hand out supplies. “Hopefully it'll move on to something tastier and we can find our way back home.”

Connor looked mournfully down at his handheld detector, but nothing happened.

* * * * *

They ended up spending the night in the cave, Connor drooling on Lester's shoulder, Cutter and Abby pressed close together, Stephen and Ryan taking it in turns to look out for curious creatures. By the time morning arrived everyone was tired and cranky but the handheld detector pinging to life made getting up much easier.

Ryan managed to lead them all back to safety. Or relative safety given the state of the ARC which now looked, quite rightly, as if a herd of dinosaurs had gone on a rampage.

Claudia was waiting for them with enough cleaning supplies for everyone twice over. “I trust you enjoyed your little sojourn into the past?” she asked. “Because there's a lot of work to be done here.”

“Don't suppose there's a cuppa in it, is there?” Ryan asked, hopefully.

Claudia smiled and moved to one side, revealing the teapot and four plates of sandwiches and biscuits.

“Welcome home!”

By the time the team had finished with the food, the ARC looked like two sets of dinosaurs had trampled the place. And Lester had conveniently vanished.

Claudia remained unsurprised by both developments. But she did wait until the very last minute to tell the others she'd hired a professional clean-up crew.

It wouldn't pay to let them get too comfortable making a mess, after all.


End file.
